Bobcats Sign Conroy, Ely Still Unsigned

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">CHARLOTTE ? Bonzi Wells won?t be coming, Melvin Ely?s return is still uncertain and a former D-League standout Will Conroy will be among the roster hopefuls when the Charlotte Bobcats open training camp next week.

That?s the assessment of Bobcats coach and general manager Bernie Bickerstaff as NBA roster slots are filling up all around the league.

The biggest news Thursday was that Bonzi Wells had agreed to a two-year, $5 million free agent contract with the Houston Rockets. Wells, who had turned down a 5-year, $36 million contract with the Sacramento Kings over the summer, has the option on the second year of the deal and chose Houston after receiving interest from the Bobcats, the Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat.

?He was leaning towards Houston in the conversations we had,? Bickerstaff said of Wells? visit to Charlotte Sept. 21.

But Bickerstaff is currently more concerned with the status of restricted free agent Melvin Ely.

Ely, a 6-foot-10, 235-pound forward-center acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers before the Bobcats? expansion season of 2004-05, has been pursuing sign-and-trade offers since the free agency period begin in the summer. But Charlotte has the option to match any offer Ely might receive and the Bobcats tendered a one-year qualifying offer of $3.3 million for Ely to retain those rights.

?We?re having conversations with his agent (Dan Fegan) right now,? Bickerstaff said. ?They?re still pursuing a sign-and-trade deal.?

However, while Ely has reportedly drawn interest from the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns this summer, both teams have also recently reportedly cooled on the idea of pursuing him.

Ely had career-highs of 22 starts and averages of 9.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game last season for Charlotte. He averaged 7.3 points and 4.1 rebounds while starting 17 times in the 2004-05.</div>

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